Railroad vehicle



4May 18 1926.

A E. G. CARR RAILROAD VEHICLE Filed Dec. 26

TOR. @am

Il? M ATTORNEY.

.WSR

RALROAD VEHCLE.

Application filed December 26, 1924. Serial No. 758,060.

This invention relates to railroad vehicles, and the object et' the invention is to improve the construction and operation ot' railroad vehicles in themanner to be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, which accompany this specification and term a part hereoi, which drawings illustrate an embodiment el' this invention, and on which drawings the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts wherever 'they may appear in each o'f the several views, Fig. 1 is a side elevation ot a railroad vehicle; Fig. 2 is a plan view ot the railroad vehiele shown by Fig. l, parts being broken away; and Fig, El is an eleva-tion of a part et a railroad vehicle. y

llet'erring to the drawings, the reiterence numeral 1 designates a railroad vehicle designed and intended to operate upon the r`ails ont a railroad track 2.

All details oit construction, which are not necessary lor. a complete understanding ot this invention, such as car couplings, etc.,

" have been omitted for the sake ot simplicity ot illustration and description.

The railroad vehicle is illustrated as adapted to'be supported on the rails of a railroad track by wheels 3, l, 5, (i, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and the wheels are illustrated connected in pairs by axles 11, 12, 18, and 14, according to the common method of construction ot car wheels and axles in common use. At each end of each axle is a journal box 15, and these journal boxes are preferably designed to contain anti-friction bearings 15a, `preferably i the roller type, although other types et bearings can be used it considered advisable. rlhe `drawings illustrate end thrust members 16 as secured tothe journal boxes 15 by bolts 17. Springs 18, 19, 20, and 21, which are illustrated by the drawings as bowed laminated springs, are se-` cured to the journal boxes l to 'lorm tourwheel trucks or trolleys, as clearly illustrated by the drawings. rlhese springs may be secured to the journal boxes in any suitable manner, as, for example, being passed between overhanging lugs 22, with the lowermost leaves oi the springs secured to the journal boxes by bolts 23, as clearly shown by Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 of the drawings. A. bolster 24 is illustrated as secured to the springs 18 and 19, and a bolster 25 is illustrated by the drawings as secured to the springs 2O and 21, with the trucks or trolleys pivotally connected rwith the superstructure ot the vehicle by king pins 26 and 2 The springs 18, 19, 20, and 21 are illustrated as laminated springs for the reason that laminated springs will ordinarily be employed, but each spring might consist of a single leat'it the superstructure of the vehicle, including the load carried by the vehicle, is light enough to warrant such a construction. j

Supports 28 and 29 are secured to the vehicle and extend in close enough proximity to the tracks so that they will strike the tracks and support the vehicle before a dangerous pressure is exerted upon the bearings in the journal boxes. These supports will also prevent the flexing of the springs to a dangerous extent and will sup-- port the vehicle in case orn derailment. Railroad vehicle axles are hardened at places of Contact with bearings and roller bearings are also hardened. The object of the hardening is to prevent distortion under pressure and to minimize wear. Unfortunately, extreme hardness and toughness do not oo-exist, and it is a principal object of this invention to prevent dangerous breaking or'crushing stresses being imposed upon the bearings as the result et -joltings of the vehicle whether due to rough track conditions or other causes. The supports 28 and 29 are primarily intended to strike the rails of the track, under severe joltings, and thus relieve the pressures exerted by the springs, through the journal boxes, upon the bearings. rlhe supports 28 and 29 can be, as a Imatter ot convenience in construction, connected to the springs and holst-ers, as illustrated by the drawings, and they may cO-nsist oiI channel irons 30 with their webs placed vertically and secured, by rivets for example, to upper plates 81 and lower plates 32. l/iooden planks SS'may be secured to the lower plates oi the supports as readily replaceable wearing members, and the supports may be secured to the springs by bolts 3d and clips 35.

Referring, now, to Fig. 3 of the drawings,

the reference numeral 1 designates a railroad vehicle generally, 36 and 37 wheels, 38 and 39 springs, ll0 and l1 journal boxes, Li()1 and 41a antitriction bearings ot the roller type, 42 and 113 end thrust members secured to the journal boxes 4() and il by bolts la and 45. The journal boxes and 4:1 are illustraled as formed with upper projections 1G and lower projections t? for spring bolts S and -l-f). The longest leaves of the springs 3S and 39 are bentaround the spring bolts, in the ordinary manner ot' securing springs to spring bolts, which results in the springs being pivotally `connected to the journal boxes and prevents a bending strain upon the springs of the character caused by the overhanging lugs Q9 and bolts 3 in the construction shown by Figs. l and 2 ot' the drawings. T he construction shown by Fig. 3 ot the drawings also tends to maintain the journal boxes in the same positions relative to the axles when the springs lengthen or slierten with vertical movements ot' the vehicle, whereas, with the construction shown by Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the tendency is to oscillate the journal boxes about the axles the springs lengthen and slierten with vertical movements oiu the vehicle. There is, however. an important ditlerence in principle ot construction and in principle ot operation between the crimstruction shown by Figs. l and i2 ot' the drawings and the construction shown by Fig. 2l ot the drawings in case the vehicle is to be sellipropelled by a motor and motion transmitting mechanism to an axle, sprocket chain drive and sprocketwheel on an axle, for example, which are not shown by the drawings for the reason that such mechanism is well known. Referring to F l and 2 ot the drawings, it will be noticed that any power applied to an axle, other than a pure torque, will tend to displace the axle and bend the single springs. Referring, now, to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be noticed that any tendency ot power means to displace an axle longitudinally will be oiiset, resisted and prevented, because the axles are located between the springs 38 and 39.

There double springs are used, I prefer to secure the springs together so that their action will be the same as the action ot a` single spring, as distinguished from a construction in which one spring takes the load in the irst instance and additional spring resistance being brought .into play by another spring, as is common iii" the construction ot the spring supports tor railroad cars. lVhen I refer to railroad cars, I mean to include street cars and the like, as well as lars used on steam operated railroads. By having such springs connected, as stated, and is illustrated by Fig. 3 ot the drawings, the tendency to bend the springs or cause them to separate, when power is applied to an axle or wheels to propel the car, is minimized. The springs may be secured together by bolts 50, which pass through plates 5l and 52 and clips 53. Channel irons 5.4i and 55, with their webs placed vertically, may be secured by rivets to the plates 5l and 52 to form spacers between the springs and lo allord common abutting means against which the springs can be seated by means of the bolts o() to sccure the springs together and to compel them to act as a single spring. A support 5S, whiea is illustrated by the drawings as an -bcam, may be Secured below the lowermost springs J9 tor the same purpose as the supports and 2) hereinbetore described. rl`he support, or lI-beani` .i f3 may be, secured to the vehicle in any suitable manner; 8 ot the drawings illustrates this support as riveted to a plate 57, which is sumiorted by bolts 50 underneath the lower springs Ill). Fig. 2l ot the drawings also illuslral a holster ol. the same constructimi as the bolstcrs ill and 25 illustrated by l1`igs. l and i ot the drawings.

It will, ot course, be understood that Fic; 3 ot' the drawings illustrates a part only ol' a railroad vehicle and that lthis iigfure olf the drawings illu: rates only one side. o'l' a 'tourwheel truck or trolley, Al'or the reason that the construction ot the truck or trolley `with two springs on each side can be readilyY uuderstood from an inspection olf l and 2 ot' the drawings and the description ol' the constructions hereinbefore made.

As the supports may, at times, be moving, for briet' periods, in close proximity to the rails oit the track, or may even be actually in contact with the rails ot the track, the track contacting parts ot the supports may be beveled or curved upwardly at their ed in the directions of movement ol the vehicle, as indicated by the reference character 59, so that the supports will ride over an upwardly projecting butt of a rail, and not be stopped thereby.

The supports 2S, 2), and 5f), it not relied upon tor supporting the vehicle in case ot derailment, need not be arranged to contact with the rails, but can be arranged lo contact with the axles inside ot the car lwheels as indicated in dotted lines bv the reference numerals (5() and (il on Fig.l l ot the drawings. lilith such a construction the bumps and jolts of the vehicle will he transmitted to the axles and so distribute the load on the bearing outside ot al wheel and on the axle inside ol.l a wheel as to avoid the damage which n'iight be done to the bearing in case no support or supporls were provided -to relieve the bearings trom excessive stresses.

rhe operation of the railroad vehicle will be readily understood from the foregoing description. It the vehicle is to be used as a car, it will be coupled by a coiuiling or couplings, not shown, to some kind ol a locomotive and may l'orm a part ot a train ot sinlilar cars, although, ot cour. i, it can be coupled in a train with cars ot other constructions. It the vehicle is intended to be a locomotive or self-propelled vehicle, it

ltlS

will, of course, be provided with the necessary propelling mechanism, and may also be used to carry a load. rI he vehicle is specially adapted to temporary tracks either standard gauge, or narrow gauge, contractors tracks for example, and such trac rs are usually rough tracks with curves which are of short radii and not banked so that the rolling stock is subjected to: exceptionally severe conditions of use, Then the vehicle lurches sideways en a curve, the lurch being outward, the springs spread the outside ends oi' the axles apart increasing` the wheel base while the inside ends of the same axles are pulled together decreasing the wheel base, with the result that the vehicle will take a curve more easily than as though such movements ot the axles did not take place.

It will also be apparent that my improved construction reduces the weight ot railroad vehicles by the elimination of parts which are ordinarily used in the construction et such vehicles; that the wear and binding of journal boxes, when confined in pedestals, is obviated; and that the springs are unrestrained in their actions and do not have rubbing contact with parts of a truck or trolley.

The spring construction and arrangement shown by Fig. 3 or the drawings is also of special advantage when ordinary brakes and brake rigging, not shown, are used, forA the reason that the pull of the brakes or the brake rigging does not tend to displace the axles and bend the springs, and the same advantage exists it' an obstruction is struck by a wheel or wheels.

That l claim is:

1. The combination in a railroad vehicle,

of axles with wheels thereon, journal boxes upon the axles, bearings interposed between the journal boxes and the axles, springs connected tojournal boxes whereby pressure is transmitted through the journal boxes and bearings to the axles, a bolster to which said springs are secured, and a support secured te the bolster so as to: rise and fall therewith to limit the pressure exerted by the springs upon bearings and also adapted to support the vehicle in case of derailment.

Qqln mechanism of the class described, a trolley having wheels, rails on which the wheels of said trolleyT rest, yieldable means supporting the trolley upon said wheels whereby the trolley may move downward with respect to said wheels when a load is placed on the trolley in excess of the sustaining capacity oiA said yieldable means, and means on the trolley normally spaced from said rails adapted to engage the latter when the trolley is moved downward with respect to said wheels to relieve the wheels of excess load.

ln mechanism ci the class described, a wheeled trolley including a trolley frame, yieldable means supporting said 'frame upon said wheels whereby the trame may move downward with respect to said wheels when a load is placed on the frame in excess of the sustaining capacity of said yieldable means, and means on said trame adapted to engage a downwardly immovable abutment when the frame is moved downwardly with respect to said wheels to relieve the wheels of excess load.

In witness whereof I hereto aliix my signature,

EDVVARD Gr. CARR. 

